This Blog Post is gonna be quite intense. I'm suggesting you commit to this entire post, all the videos, reading every word. I'm going to give you my own, personal experiences & teaching, share with you words of wisdom from Navy SEAL, Marcus Luttrell via video & a quick excerpt from his latest book, Service.
Let's get after it.
Have you ever made an excuse for yourself?
Have you ever heard the excuses others make?
Excuses create losers. Plain and simple. Excuses give you or others a "green light" to quit, give up & fail.
How do I know? Because I've been there & done that. You get caught up in finding ways or reasons to convince yourself about why it's OK to not cross the finish line.
The problem with excuses is that they become a habit. I've seen these habits form as I am a Coach, and I see how other Coaches, parents & athletes themselves can make excuses.
I look back and recall my past and see the line of excuses I used to make for MANY things.
The excuses I hear from others on a daily basis are endless, yet commonly used, over & over I hear these:
"I'm too busy..."
"It's too expensive..."
"I can't find a ride..."
"I'm too big...."
"I'm too small...."
"I woke up late....."
Seriously, if you want to become GREAT.....
If you REALLY want to achieve success beyond the norm, then F**ing DO things that others do NOT do. Society is confused nowadays because they think success comes in a box, a short cut or without gut busting, HARD Freaking WORK.
Don't be weak minded.... Don't be an excuse maker.... if you are, you WILL become a loser. That's a GUARANTEE.
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgoq5fZuyq0[/youtube]
Ironically, right after I filmed this video, I was just past half way done with Marcus Luttrell's book, Service, where I came across these words of wisdom, read them carefully & make sure you purchase the book....
Marcus Luttrell shares lessons learned from one of his SEAL Mentors as well as his tough times in combat....
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NOkLPRI84[/youtube]
Excerpt from Marcus's Book, Service ......
Slab dealt with his experience by putting it in a box, extracting a few "Never agains", and pushing his high speed career to the next level. He's a thinker, private and introspective, a dedicated hard charger. But he had said enough to me in our time together to show me how he continued to operate and why, how bad experiences strengthened his motivation, and how he learned to distinguish fear from the impostor, being afraid.
Fear is a force that sharpens your senses. Being afraid is a state of paralysis in which you can't do anything. It's critical to understand the difference, but I never fully saw it until I spent time with Slab. You have to use your fear to keep you from that deadly state of being afraid. Watching him go about his business, planning missions, and dealing with his troop, had the same effect on me as being with JT, Josh, JJ, and Morgan after I got home from Redwing. He recharged me by his presence and commanded my respect without saying a word.
You don't have to be an Adonis or a giant to accomplish feats of greatness. You have to have drive and commitment - as well as honest sense of what is and isn't possible. During my time with slab, I realized there was very little I could have done to change the outcome there in the Hindu Kush. I felt my energy level and motivation surge in his presence - just as Master Chief knew it would.
I have found the best way to get through tough times is to surround myself with positive people. If you spend time around people who are weak or always feel sorry for themselves, it's bound to rub off on you. Always look forward, never back. Thanks, Slab, for all your help.
QOD: What are your thoughts on the power of the mind and what it takes to achieve success?
Drop a comment below & share your experiences.
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10 Responses
‘i dont have a ride’? havent heard that one yet. I have heard, ‘my cat is sick’, btw is kinda lame. If your cat is gonna die because you arent there for an hour and a half, it will likely die regardless, yes? I have a blind 15 year old who wants to wrestle and a middle age leukemia survivor. The only thing that keeps them from training is medical complications, otherwise they show up and perform quite well. Very inspiring and i am glad to have them as clients.
Gabe, they sound like ass kickers through and through!!! LOVE it!!
Zach, that article was strait up the best thing I’ve read all week. Thank you so much for writing it.
Btw, you mentioned watching movies to train the mind. Last night I watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary about the greatest sushi chef in Japan.
Hands down, it’s the best movie I’ve seen about what it takes to succeed. I highly recommend it even if you hate sushi.
Matt, damn, I heard someone talk about that movie, I gotta SEE it! Is it On Demand?
Im reminded of once when I was having some trouble breathing (asthma is so annoying!) and didn’t have an inhaler but I went out to the gym anyway and did everything I had planned out, it wasn’t easy but I didn’t want to make up excuses.
Jonathan, shyt brutha, craziness. I’d make sure you carry that bad boy at all times, that’s NO joke!
I have several kettlebells, barbells and dumbbells that I have picked up over the years, whenever I had the money to get them. Nothing fancy, but enough to get great workouts in. I also went to a local county park and got a $5 season pass. $5 and I can go whenever I want, all year round. They have a 1.2 mile running track and a mile long par course/fitness trail. At my work, we had a good sized room in the basement, that myself and a few other guys turned into a workout room. We chip in periodically and get equipment. We have a climbing rope, battling rope, weights, kettlebells, pull-up bar, etc. Again, nothing fancy, but more than enough to get fantastic workouts in and we have free 24 hour access to it!! Oh yeah, I also have a street in front of my house where I can go for a run, again FREE! There is always a way.
Zach, I love the video. It is too easy to talk yourself into NOT working out if you listen to people around you. It is nice to have someone remind you once in awhile (in a not so politically correct way, haha) to get off your ass and do something! Keep it up. You are a breath of fresh air brother!!
Milt, I like what you’re doing, brutha! Keep charging!
Very powerful!!! Thanks Zach.
As a former US Army Operator, I will agree with this 100 %!!! We must believe in ourselves and what we do. We are what our actions are, when you open your mouth and speak that’s you. Be positive, set goals…even micro-goals to get you to that level you wanna be at. Be realistic, and be fair to yourself. Keep our head and chest up and never give in, fight till there is no more….when we fail, and we will…raise with our head high and drive on. I was never the fastest or the strongest, but when I fought the solider next to me knew I was there for him and no matter what, I would fight forever with him and for him. Our kids see this as well, be positive for them, help them become better men, build strong character, and help them understand that their word means more than they will ever know. Look into the mirror and smile, love yourself and go to bed evey night knowing we’ve done our best. We are not better men than most just different. We know we have responsibility to ourselves, our wives kids and country. Like Spatans we are strong, but together….unstoppable. We hold ourselves accountable, we take action, we build ourselves inside and out to be better everyday. And know one will take that away, no one. Thanks Z, got a little caught up but thanks for throwing in the mental part of become better. PRs are great but some times the best growth goes unseen. ROCK ON BROTHER Z !!!!